Today's computer users are highly mobile individuals. Whether on business trips, on vacations, or coming to and from work, these individuals are readily identifiable by their use of laptops, enhanced-functionality cellular telephones, Palm Pilots™, Blackberries™, and other portable electronic devices. Indeed, many establishments provide Internet connections that cater to individuals who may be merely passing through the establishment for a short period of time and who require a network connection. For instance, Internet connections are available at airports and hotels, and even in restaurants and coffee shops.
Because of the portable nature of the electronic devices, there are certain limits to their capabilities. Power consumption is one of the prime examples. Power consumption is generally a minor issue in an operating environment where the user has “plugged” the electronic device into an electrical power outlet or has docked the electronic device into a docking station. In these situations, there is constant and substantially unlimited power for operating the electronic device, thereby eliminating the need for the electronic device to consume power from an internal power source, such as an internal battery, while plugged in.
However despite the proliferation of establishments that provide Internet connections (and typically a corresponding stationary power supply), there are still many instances when a stationary power supply is unavailable to the highly mobile user. In these instances, the electronic device needs to rely on its internal battery to supply the power necessary to run applications or to perform other functions with the electronic device.
If operated in a full power mode using power from the internal battery, the electronic device can generally operate for only a few hours before the battery is drained. In fact, many different software services, software applications, and hardware can run concurrently in the full power mode using various subsystems and components in the electronic device. A display, disk drive, and processor (especially a graphics processor) are some of the components of an electronic device that can run concurrently, yet consume a substantial amount of power.
To help reduce power consumption, especially when a stationary power supply is unavailable, many electronic devices include a “standby” mode in which the electronic device turns OFF and/or substantially reduces power to all of its subsystems and components. In such a standby mode, a user generally cannot use any applications unless the electronic device is switched from the standby mode to the full power mode. As such, it can often be necessary for the user to make only limited and very efficient use of the electronic device while it is in full power mode when there are no available stationary power supplies. Furthermore, it may even be necessary for the user to keep the electronic device completely turned off or in a substantially non-functional standby mode as much as possible.
If the user fails to diligently conserve power in this manner, then the electronic device will run out of power and become unusable until the user can recharge or replace the internal battery and/or connect to a stationary power supply. For instance, repeatedly accessing a hard disk drive when running applications can dramatically reduce the amount of available power that can be delivered from an internal battery. The constant need for software applications to access the hard disk drive is an important reason for limiting or eliminating the functionality of the applications in the standby mode. This constrained operating environment is inconvenient and impractical for a highly mobile user who may wish to use a portable electronic device for certain applications, such as email, when there are no available stationary power supplies.